Various brake wear indicators are provided by the prior art. When the friction lining of the brake is worn to a predetermined thickness, these indicators either generate an audible sound for warning a motor vehicle operator or energize an electric circuit to provide a read out, alerting the operator to the worn friction lining condition of the brake.
With reference to a disc brake wear indicator, the prior art generally provides a probe extending through the backing plate of the friction lining, which probe is activated by the moving disc, when the disc wears the friction lining between the probe and disc. In general, these prior art wear indicators require manufacturing alterations to the existing disc brake in order to integrate the wear indicator into the disc brake assembly.